Ask Anna is a sex column. Because of the nature of the topic, some columns contain language some readers may find graphic.

Dear Anna,

I hate the Hallmark idea of prepackaged romance, but love love! My husband and I have done many things over the years to celebrate V-Day in unconventional ways, but after 12 years spent doing quirky things we both love, we're running low on novel, exciting ideas that buck the norm. Thoughts? —V-Stuck

Dear VS,

I sure do have thoughts! Valentine’s Day is crack to romantic suckers like me, and I am very much invested in helping others have amazing dates. Here are some innovative suggestions, in no particular order.

Recreate your first date. (Or the second or third if the “first date” part of your history was nebulous or involved a sloppy drunken make-out session on your cousin’s futon.) This kind of date is great because it’s super romantic but doesn’t typically require any elaborate planning or mucho dinero. Bonus points if one of you picks the other one up or if you remember what you were wearing, but it’s not necessary to be completely historically accurate. Bask in the glow of nostalgia at the coffee shop where you first awkwardly discussed your love of Taylor Swift and CrossFit, walk down the snowy streets where you first held hands or smooched under a street light (or at a bus stop, if you’re classy like me) and remember how sweet those first blushes of love were, and still are.

Floating, aka a sensory deprivation tank. OK, I admit that at first glance, the idea of being buoyant in 10 inches of water and 1,000 pounds of magnesium sulfate isn’t what we think of when we hear the word “romantic.” But being weightless in warm, salty water is a great de-stressor. It calms the nervous system, and allows our hyperactive brains to chillax, while heightening our senses at the same time for other sexier activities later. Even better if you get a joint-float with your partner.

DIY food crawl. Pick a neighborhood you’ve never spent much time in (but one that still has, you know, food) and plan short outings for each course of a three to four course meal. Pick a place for drinks and/or appetizers, then a place for entrees, then another place for desserts. Bonus points if all the places are new to you. (New places/activities inspire love feelings, says science.) Make sure the restaurants are close enough to each other that you’re not taking expensive cab rides all over the city — unless you’re into that. You do you.

A ghost tour. From a purely biological standpoint, fear and arousal provoke similar responses from the body — sweaty palms, hairs standing on end, increased heart rate and so on. Plus, doing something a little scary makes you want to get that much closer to your sweetheart. And it’s a fun way to get to know historical elements of the city that you probably never knew. Check out Chicago Haunting Tours for one option. Their “classic” tour even includes a stop at the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre in Lincoln Park, which is about as anti-Hallmark as you can get!

Dirty Dancing party. Duet Dancing studio offers a “Dirty Dancing”-inspired evening (Feb. 9 or Feb. 14, $90 per couple) of salsa dancing, basic leading and following steps and a modified version of the routine from the movie. (It’s almost certain that one or both of you have harbored at least SOME erotic fantasies about either this movie or Patrick Swayze in general. Give each other the “time of your life.”) It’s BYOB if you need to knock one or two back in order to get jiggy wit it. Just remember that nobody puts Baby in a corner.